Ministry orders investigation after mental hospital becomes a narcotics hub

The Ministry of Health has asked for an investigation into a case where a patient at a mental hospital was caught trading narcotics.

National Psychiatric Hospital 1

The director of National Psychiatric Hospital 1 was ordered to collaborate with the police in the investigation, inspect the hospital's staff, tighten security and management. The hospital must submit a rapid report to the Department of Medical Services by 10 am on April 1.

On March 31, the police in Hanoi announced that they had busted a drug trading ring led by a man with a history of mental illness, Nguyen Van Quy.

Quy has been treated at the National Psychiatric Hospital 1 since November 2018. During his treatment, Quy left the hospital several times. In January, he was caught by the police in Hai Ba Trung District for illegally storing narcotics and was transferred to the hospital.

Quy then made friends with the hospital staff and was allowed to move freely inside the hospital. He was even able to turn a treatment room into a sound-proof room with heavy loudspeakers and laser lights. He later invited friends and hospital staff to the room and sold all kinds of narcotics there.

His customers disguised as patients' relatives. Two of his accomplices, Nguyen Trung Nguyen and Nguyen Cong Thuong disguised as taxi and motorbike taxi drivers in front of the hospital to guard and transport drugs.

The trading hub was busted and five people were arrested on March 20.

After expanding the investigation, the police also detained Nguyen Anh Vu, an employee at the Department of Rehabilitation and Traditional Medicine at the hospital.